The Proteas were hit by a spate of injuries to top batsmen ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan, which saw Rassie van der Dussen earn a maiden ODI call-up.
Van der Dussen has made an impressive start to his ODI career, spending almost five hours at the crease and scoring 93 and 80 not out. At Kingsmead, he was able to consolidate after the Proteas lost all the established batsmen – and critically held his nerve throughout.
Prior to the retirement of AB de Villiers, the Proteas didn’t really need a middle-order accumulator like England’s Joe Root or New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. ‘Mr 360′ doubled as destroyer and rescuer. When the Proteas top-order fires, all looks well with the ODI side, but early wickets have had a tendency to completely derail Faf du Plessis’ men.
Van der Dussen has been a consistent contributor of runs to the Lions’ cause over the last few seasons, and with his 30th birthday looming, he should have the maturity necessary to make the transition to the international game.
The big test for van der Dussen will be whether he can score at the elevated rate required on some of the International Cricket Council-curated World Cup pitches. Williamson and Root have shown that despite their reputations as accumulators, they can take the attack to the bowling when it is necessary.
Of all the batsmen vying for a place alongside the Proteas heavyweights, van der Dussen appears to give the team the most value – and has taken to the troublesome first-drop position with aplomb.
The timing of his purple patch could not be any better. He made a big push for higher honours when he ended as the leading run-scorer in the inaugural Mzansi Super League, helping the Jozi Stars to the title.
The great strength of van der Dussen is that he knows his own game well enough to find achievable solutions to match situations. The Lions batsman has shown a willingness to push on at the highest level – and make the most of the opportunities given to him.
Van der Dussen currently ranks as the Proteas’ best option at number three. Reeza Hendricks has not made the most of his run in the team and Aiden Markram hasn’t translated Test success into the shorter formats.
For Ottis Gibson, the puzzle might just be coming together at the right time and the Proteas could be serious contenders for the World Cup crown.
